Etihad to launch flights to Maldives for winter

United Arab Emirates’ national airline has announced it will commence operations to Malé, the capital city of the Maldives, on November 1, subject to government approval. The carrier will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi with an Airbus A320 configured with two cabins and offering 1,904 seats each week. The commencement of services in November is timed to coincide with the start of the busy northern winter period. Malé will be the 67th destination on Etihad’s global network.“Given the strong increase in visitation numbers we are seeing in the market, the time is right to launch services to this popular holiday destination,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive officer. “We expect the services will appeal to customers from our major European markets, particularly with the strong connectivity options on offer and following the additional frequencies that will come online on a number of our key European routes this summer. European travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.”Airliners.net[pictured: The Maldives]